Maralal

Maralal sits at around 1,900 metres on the edge of the Samburu highlands, a frontier town of corrugated iron, dukas and dust where Samburu in traditional dress mix with traders and where the tarmac effectively ends for anyone continuing north. Cedar forest surrounds it and a small sanctuary on the edge of town holds zebra, impala and baboons that wander freely. Its annual event is the Maralal International Camel Derby, held since 1990, which brings amateur and professional riders and a great deal of noise and celebration for a few days each year, along with cycling and running races. Wilfred Thesiger, the British explorer and writer, spent his later years living here among the Samburu, which gives the town a small literary footnote. Beyond it, tracks lead to Losiolo escarpment and on to Lake Turkana.

What you actually see

• The frontier town - dukas, dust and the end of the tarmac.
• The camel derby - the annual races and festival.
• The town sanctuary - wildlife wandering at the edge of the settlement.
• Cedar forest - the highland woodland around the town.

When to go

Dry seasons for the roads; the derby is usually in August and fills what accommodation there is. Nights are cold at this altitude. Roads north deteriorate sharply beyond the town.

Honest expectations

Accommodation is basic and limited, filling completely during the derby. The town is dusty and rough around the edges. Roads in from Nyahururu are poor and beyond Maralal they are rough tracks. Local advice on current road conditions is worth taking before continuing north.

Nearby

Losiolo escarpment is a short rough drive; Lake Turkana lies far north.